


Unexpected Love

by Tlk_Fan



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Brotherly Bonding, Crushes, F/M, Flirting, Horseback Riding, Post-Canon, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29481504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tlk_Fan/pseuds/Tlk_Fan
Summary: Finan and Eadith's journey of their relationship from crush to something moreORThese 2 just need to get together already
Relationships: Eadith & Finan (The Last Kingdom), Eadith/Finan (The Last Kingdom)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 10





	1. I don't deserve her love

**Author's Note:**

> takes place post season 4 starting on the way back to Coccham  
> Part of a larger Finan/Eadith story yet to be finished - If you see my other work, "Always enough" it is a glimpse of where they end up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finan is desperately trying to talk himself out of his crush on Eadith, meanwhile, Eadith unknowingly makes it much harder for him.

Damn these feelings for Eadith that have crept into his heart over the last several months. It was easy to deny them at first. To simply chalk them up to being in the presence of a beautiful woman for an extended period of time. All of the men probably thought she was beautiful, right? So it wasn’t just him, Finan told himself. But, he now realized this was more than a simple attraction or lust. She was beautiful, man was she beautiful; But more than that she was kind, intelligent, and full of life. The woman had a fire in her spirit - one not put out easily, as she had demonstrated by overcoming so many hardships.  
Sometimes Finan would find himself thinking about her and his breath would catch in his throat. When his mind should be focused on something important, he would find himself distracted by the thought of her. Thoughts he had no right having. Thoughts of them lying together or just holding one another, her red tresses flowing down the length of his arm while she rested her head in the crook of his neck. Lips locked in a deep passionate kiss. Visions of them down the road, starting a family together.  
‘Stop it, you bloody egit!’ He chastised himself. ‘She doesn’t belong to you, nor will she ever. She probably never wants anything to do with a man again after all she’s been through, let alone someone like you.’, he thought.  
‘You have nothing to offer her. No roots, no home other than the house in Coccham which is barely more than a shack if you’re to be honest. And, more than that, it certainly isn’t a secret that you have been known to frequent the rooms above any alehouse in any village you come to; Although the appeal has worn off since Eadith had come into your life. All you have is the pitiful amount of silver you have saved. But that’s not what a woman like Eadith wants or cares about. IF she ever were to give her heart to someone, it certainly wouldn’t be to a man the likes of you.’ Finan was now pacing back and forth wearing a path into the grass as he continued in his thoughts, occasionally mumbling out loud. He had walked down to the stream, far enough away from the camp that he thought he would have some time to himself to clear his head.  
Finan’s thoughts continued, however. She would want a real man. A man without all his baggage, all of the scars not only on his skin but on his soul. One who she could put down roots with, not one that rides off into battle whenever he is called, not knowing if he’ll come home alive or dead. Eadith would want someone that would be there everyday, without a doubt, to protect her, not off protecting the people of Wessex. ‘For her sake man, put her out of your mind! It’s never gonna happen!’, he berated himself.  
As he continued to pace, Finan dragged his fingers through his dark, unruly hair, trying to take a deep breath to settle himself. Even if Finan were to find out that Eadith had feelings for him, he could never allow anything to happen between them. It wouldn’t be fair to her. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to sacrifice her chance at a normal life in exchange for a marriage to a man that might not even be there a good portion of the time. 'Marriage?!' In all the years since being drug out of Ireland in chains the prospect of marriage had not once crossed his mind. He had simply been happy to follow Uhtred, fight, have good friends, food, and ale. 'You bloody fool,' he mumbled. Finan knew he was in deep now.

“Do all Irishmen carry on conversations with themselves?”, a voice behind him asked in a teasing manner. Startled, he quickly turned around to view a sight to behold. The descending sun was shining down from behind Eadith, making her gorgeous red hair appear as a fiery halo of sorts. Although some of her features were darkened because of the light’s direction, he could make out the smirk that her sweet, plump lips had turned into. He unwillingly allowed his eyes to travel from her face, down her body, and quickly back up to her eyes again. As if he hadn’t already made a big enough fool of himself, he could feel his whole face turn crimson.  
“Eadith!” Finan finally blurted out. “I uh, uh… I was just well, you know, um.” She closed the few feet of distance between them and placed her hand on his chest.  
‘Not what I need right now.’, the Irishman thought to himself as he silently prayed that Eadith couldn’t feel the pounding of his heart beneath her hand.  
“I just wanted to be sure I gave you my thanks for convincing Uhtred to allow me to come with you to Coccham.” When he didn’t say anything, she asked “Would you mind sitting with me for a minute?”  
“Well it didn’t really take much convincing, I didn’t do much,” Finan replied as he stared at his feet. Eadith took his hand and pulled Finan to sit down next to her on the mossy bank next to the stream.  
“Stop being so modest, without you I wouldn’t be here. I really do not want to think where I would be.” Her voice trailed off and it seemed as if her train of thought did the same. Her gaze was fixed on the gurgling stream laid out before them, her fingers nervously twirling a lock of her silky hair. The fingers on her other hand were still intertwined with Finan’s.  
“Eadith,” Finan queried, “What’s really on your mind? You’re not very good at hiding the fact that somethin’s botherin’ ya. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before unlocking their grasp. Eadith couldn’t help but think how well this man could already read her. This man who she had only known for a few short months had gotten into her head, and most likely her heart too.  
“Well, I suppose I am a bit anxious. Now that I am no longer Aethelred’s whore," she said with derision, "I’m not sure what my purpose is. Since my father disgraced the family, I’ve had no purpose except to be a plaything for men. Basically, I’ve never known what it’s like to be on my own and now that I am, it feels a bit overwhelming. Will I know what to do, now that I have my freedom? How will I know what to do to survive?”  
“Oh my dear Eadith,” he slightly turned, grabbed her by both shoulders, and looked her straight into those beautiful green eyes; Eyes he thought he might be able to drown in. He spoke with an impassioned manner, brows furrowed. “You are a strong and intelligent woman. I know this all seems daunting right now. But you haven’t let anything get in your way so far and I don’t see anything standing in your way down the road either. You need to look at this as a newly found freedom. to do whatever it is you want; Not as a burden to carry.” Not trusting his willpower to hold out much longer, Finan dropped his hands away from Eadith’s shoulders and turned to look out at the running water. At this point, he was fearful of what his body might do in reaction to the impossibly perfect woman sitting inches away from him.  
Eadith took a moment to compose herself. Finan’s eyes had seemed to bore right through her and look at her soul. It was somewhat startling yet not in a bad way; In a way that made her want more with this man. She took a deep breath and then, “I suppose you are right, maybe I do need to believe in myself a bit more. You know, despite the fact that I’m sure my reputation will follow me wherever I go, I still feel like I have been given a fresh start. And I have, thanks to you.”  
She turned again to look at him. He was staring down at the grass, plucking blades of it in order to keep his fingers occupied. She reached over to still his hand, trying to ease whatever seemed to be bothering him. Instantly, Finan felt a lightning bolt run up his arm and go straight to his heart, making it start pounding once more. He dared not look at her and he desperately hoped that Eadith wouldn’t notice the bulge filling his breeches. She then leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, her lips soft as a light wind. "That, is for all the help you've given me," she whispered. Finan closed his eyes as his breath turned ragged. It was all he could do, not to jump up and run back to camp. She then cupped his chin and turned his face so he had to look at her, those green eyes once more staring deep into his dark brown ones. It was as if time stopped and they were the only two in the world.  
Clearing her throat in an attempt to regain her senses, Eadith then took a cleansing breath. “As I said, I am not sure where I would have ended up if it wasn’t for you. Thank you, Finan. I truly am indebted to you.”, she said earnestly while still looking into his eyes. It took all of what was left of his self-control to keep himself from giving her a proper kiss right then and there. He knew he had to get out of her presence.  
“Uh, well, it was nothin’ lady.”, his voice rough with emotion. “You are more than welcome. I uh, I think Uhtred is probably looking for me by now,” he said as he stood up rubbing the back of his neck, staring in the direction of the camp. “I should probably go see if he needs me to do anything.” And with that, he turned and high tailed it away from the stream, not even offering to help Eadith up as he normally would insist upon, with any woman. 

Eadith watched him go, surprised at his hasty departure but grateful for the brief moment of time they got to spend together, alone. Just being near Finan made her feel safe and carefree, ready to conquer whatever came next. Not only was he handsome, but he was also thoughtful and caring, willing to do anything for the people he loved. Yes, she thought, the Irishman was right. Nothing will be able to stand in my way… as long as I have that man beside me. Eadith stayed sitting next to the stream a little while longer, allowing herself to daydream about their future together. 

As soon as Finan was out of sight he stopped to get ahold of himself. Leaning against a big oak tree he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Reaffirming to himself that he is doing the right thing by not pursuing Eadith, he vowed that he would not be yet another instrument of hurt to the woman, even if that meant her not understanding the reason behind his soon to be cold shoulder. As hard as it was going to be put on a distant and uncaring attitude towards Eadith, it would be easier than staying friends with her while wanting more at the same time. He wasn’t sure he could trust himself to not lose control and just kiss her until they were breathless. At least this way, Eadith’s heart would be free to find another man, should she want one, without him getting in the way. Finan finally started to make his way back to camp. Needless to say, he was not in the best of moods when he returned.


	2. Every road leads back to the place I know where I cannot go, Where I long to be (From Moana)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Finan gives Eadith the cold shoulder in an attempt to "protect her", she is confused and hurt. Uhtred tries to talk some sense into the Irishman

That night at the camp, Eadith was puzzled at Finan’s behavior towards her. She sat there, trying to think back to their conversation and figure out if she had done something to upset or offend him. She had noticed he seemed a little bit flustered a few times but chalked it up to the little bit of flirting she had done, and it wasn’t as if that was the first time so she didn’t think that was the problem. Finan and she had grown close enough that she didn’t think anything was out of place in regards to their encounter this afternoon. But something was definitely causing him to be out of sorts.  
He had sent Osferth out with her to collect the firewood when he normally goes with her. He barely uttered a whole sentence to her throughout the evening and even then it was only when he couldn’t avoid her. The man who was usually full of jokes and laughter had turned sullen and grumpy. His sparkling eyes that normally danced in the firelight while telling stories stayed dull and lifeless in his silence.

Neither of them slept well that night, tossing and turning thinking about the other and the abrupt change in their friendship. Of course, when morning came around, they both were tired and cranky. Eadith stalked off to the stream to take care of her morning needs while Finan sat, barely touching his breakfast.  
Sihtric leaned over, “What’s wrong? Lover’s quarrel?”  
“Shut up ye little runt, before my fist is quarreling with your nose!” Finan all but yelled back. Osferth and Uhtred simply looked at one another with amused grins on their faces.

With the morning sun rising higher in the sky, everyone helped to pack up camp. They were eager to get going as they were hoping to reach Coccham before nightfall barring any setbacks. But even with the hope of sleeping in their own beds that night, the group remained relatively quiet, feeding off of Finan and Eadith’s moods.  
It appeared it was going to get warm today, despite the early autumn changes to the leaves. Eadith went over to her mount to make sure she was ready to ride and hung the satchel that held her few belongings onto the saddle. As she was smoothing a hand over the mare’s velvety nose, Uhtred approached, tipping his head towards her. “Are you feeling alright, lady? You have been fairly quiet this morning.”  
“Yes my Lord,” she replied, “I just didn’t sleep well last night.”  
“Are you sure that’s all?” Uhtred asked.  
“Well,’ she replied, “ I suppose I am simply a bit overwhelmed. My life has completely changed in a such short period of time and now I am venturing to yet another new place to try and start over with nothing to my name. I haven’t the slightest idea what I’ll do or what to expect once we reach Coccham.” She tried to put a weary smile on her face.  
“I think you might find that you worry too much. The answers to all of these questions will fall into place. And, you have all of us that will stay by your side for as long as you need us to.” Uhtred’s eyes wandered to where Finan was standing.  
“Hmm,” Eadith replied, as she saw where his gaze had rested. “I fear that I may have already scared one certain Irishman away,” she replied as she patted the mare on her cheek.  
Uhtred responded with a soft laugh, then “I believe that too will work out my lady, all in good time.”, his blue eyes alight in the bright sunlight. He gave Eadith a light squeeze on her arm. “Now, we must be on our way if we are to reach Coccham tonight. Are you all set?”  
Eadith just nodded and then, “I suppose my cracked ribs can take one more day in the saddle”, she answered with a slight smirk.  
Crouching down and cupping his hands, Uhtred asked, “May I be of assistance, my lady?”  
“Yes, thank you, my lord,” Eadith replied as he helped her up into the saddle.

Uhtred left her standing there, alone with her thoughts as he turned back to hurry the others along. He had watched these two grow closer over the last months. Although he admits to initially having had some attraction to Eadith(after he knew he could no longer be with Aethelflead of course), it quickly became obvious to everyone but Finan and Eadith that she belonged at the side of his oathman.  
There certainly had to have been some miscommunication between the two. Although not usually one to meddle in others' love lives, he hated to see them being ripped apart for any amount of time when it was so obvious that they belonged together. Uhtred’s brow furrowed as he tried to think about how to knock some sense into the daft Irishman’s head. ‘After all, Eadith had been through,' he thought, she doesn’t need Finan being an arse to her.’

Their travels that day had been uneventful so far and it would soon be time to break from riding to rest the horses and have something to eat. Eadith however continued to feel the distance Finan had put between her and himself. As in the other mornings, Finan started off riding next to Uhtred. This was their habit as they needed to discuss plans for the day, where they would stop to rest or camp and whatever else warriors needed to discuss. When they were done, Finan had always dropped back to ride alongside Eadith, always ready to help her in the slightest way, making sure she wasn’t in too much pain. He even became somewhat protective of her, and of course, making her laugh a good portion of the time as well. 

Although Uhtred and his right hand seemed engaged in important conversation much longer today, he never once looked back. When she was sure that they were finished “business” matters, he stayed next to his lord. To say that Eadith felt hurt was an understatement. Had she totally misread the man all this time? 

While she tried to hide her disappointment, Osferth, intuitive as always, noticed the shift in dynamics and took up the empty spot in an attempt to distract her. He tried to console her telling her the two men probably had much to discuss regarding their return to Coccham and all that will need to be done because of their extended absence. While she may have believed it if it came from Finan himself, she could easily tell Osferth was making excuses for his fellow warrior. 

When the cold shoulder continued into today from last night, she could only come to the conclusion, that he was cross with her for something. Never one to shy away from confrontation when it was warranted, Eadith became determined to confront Finan about it as soon as an opportunity presented itself. Osferth and Eadith continued to make light conversation with Sihtric occasionally putting his two cents in, which was usually in the form of a sarcastic comment. She asked Osferth many questions about Coccham, trying to get a feel for what her new home would be like. . His soft laughter and easy, boyish smile helped the hours go by a little faster than they would have otherwise.

Meanwhile, at the front of the riding party, Uhtred and Finan remained in deep conversation. Uhtred was determined to figure out what in Odin’s name his best friend was thinking. For a while, they had discussed matters of importance. Once that was concluded, Uhtred could see the Irishman’s reluctance to fall back to the rest of the crew as he usually did.  
Finan could feel his lord’s eyes staring at him. Finan was tired. And grumpy. From lack of sleep among other things. “For all the saints and angels in heaven lord, what is it?” He blurted out in exasperation. 

“You’re asking me that question?” Uhtred replied incredulously. “You, my friend, are the one who has turned into a completely different person since this time yesterday. You have been acting like a horse’s arse! Your mood has brought everybody down and I won’t have it. Not when we are this close to home.” With his voice lowered he continued, “I can only assume this mood of yours has something to do with a certain lady with fiery red hair?” He gave Finan a sideways glance.  
“Aye, Lord, it does,” Finan replied, hanging his head.  
“Would you care to fill me in or will you simply continue in your misery as well as making the lady feel rejected and utterly confused?”, Uhtred shot back at him.  
“Lord, I cannot begin to tell you how conflicted I am” Finan replied with not much more than a whisper.  
“We have the rest of the day, Finan”, Uhtred said, truly wanting to be there for his friend. Uhtred turned his head and told Sihtric they were going to ride a little ways ahead to scout. “I do not expect any trouble but be prepared nonetheless.”  
“Of course, lord. Have no worries,” Sihtric assured him. Heels touching their horses’ flanks, the two warriors galloped ahead. 

Scouting wasn’t just a pretense for the men to ride ahead, although it would provide them more privacy to talk. This section of land was known for occasional Dane attacks. It was only wise to ride ahead and ensure the road’s safety for the others. As they reached the top of a hill, the sky ahead was dark, clouds threatening rain. The horses could feel it too. Both of the men’s mounts were acting a bit skittish in the moisture-filled air. Uhtred figured they would be able to beat the rain to their resting place and hopefully finding some shelter from the impending storm.  
Finan filled Uhtred in on what had been going on in his head the last few days. He told him of how he never expected to feel this way towards a woman, to never have more than a night over the alehouse to meet his physical needs. He spoke of how he had been content with, and grateful for where his life following Uhtred has taken him. Even though many of the plans and schemes his lord got them into were mad as a blue-arsed fly, he would do it all again in a heartbeat.  
But now, what was he supposed to do with these feelings? He had no room in his life for a woman, didn’t have much to offer her, and he certainly didn’t deserve one, not one like Eadith anyway. Surely he couldn’t act on these feelings! As much as he tried to shove them into a bottle and forget about them, Finan couldn’t get the cork to stay put.  
Uhtred brought his stallion close and clasped his hand to Finan’s shoulder, leaning over to look at the man face to face. “Finan my friend, you have the sharpest eyes out of anyone I have ever known, and yet somehow you have failed to see what has been obvious to everyone else.”  
Finan cocked his head with a baffled expression on his face. “Lord…?”  
“It seems to me and everyone else here that Eadith just might have feelings for you as well. And even though I thought I would see Niflheim melt before you were ever serious about anyone, you will never be able to just pack those feelings away in a chest and forget about them. Trust me, I have tried.” Uhtred sighed, a touch of sorrow in his voice.  
“But there is no way I could ever expect Eadith to be with someone like me. I have nothin’ to give her! I can’t allow her to ruin her chances at having the life she deserves,” Finan cried back at his lord.  
Uhtred, in a rare moment of patience, continued to try and get through to his friend. “Finan, look at me. If it is meant to be, then none of those things matter. You say she is finally free to choose what she wants for her life. If that is the case, shouldn’t that include choosing who she wants to be in it? And… if she comes to her senses and runs away screaming, at least you will have an answer,” Uhtred chuckled, trying to lighten Finan’s mood.

Just then, there was a huge bolt of lightning in the sky with a loud crack of thunder quickly following it. They heard one of the horses from their group trumpeting, followed by the pounding of hooves and shouts of their friends. Uhtred and Finan quickly turned their steads while cursing under their breath. Racing back as fast as the horses would take them, hands on the hilts of their swords, they could only pray to God or The Gods that everyone was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Finan is still being an idiot. Hopefully the next chapter will bring us closer to our Finan/Eadith happy place.  
> 


	3. I will go to any length to be sure you are safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finan despairs as they attempt to rescue Eadith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short and I'm not sure how happy I am with this chapter but I didn't want to put off updating any longer and it seemed like a good place to break chapters.

Time stood still.

Uhtred and Finan skidded their horses to a stop, vaulting themselves off their mount while looking to the others for an explanation. They had seen Eadith’s mare gallop past them in the other direction but the Mercian woman was nowhere to be seen. 

The road they had been traveling was bordered by a sparse treeline that descended quickly to meet a sharp cliff which led to a ravine. Finan flew over to the edge, where Sihtric was, a feeling of dread settled in Finan’s chest and bile rose to the back of his throat. He had come in with such speed that he nearly lost his footing and Sihtric had to swing his arm out to keep the distraught warrior from tumbling over! Finan swallowed hard as he reached Sihtric, searching his brother’s eyes for a sign, being in too much shock to speak. Uhtred was right behind him and Osferth was still by the road, trying to secure the horses, who were all acting somewhat jumpy. 

The three men looked down to the bottom of the ravine, seeing Eadith’s motionless body. They were too far away to tell if she was still breathing or not.  
“My God, Christ in heaven,” Finan prayed, “Do not let this be happening”, as he held back a sob. Then, lifting his Celtic cross to his lips he recited from memory, “Fear not, only believe, and she shall be made whole.” [The Holy Bible, Luke 8:50]

Sihtric, using the strength of his whole body to push Finan back from the edge, eyed Uhtred, who was looking at him for some kind of an explanation. However, they both knew now wasn’t the time - they needed to get to Eadith! “It all happened so fast, lord. We cannot get to her from here, it is too steep. We will need to go around to the other side in order to find access to the ravine. 

Quickly forming a plan, the men set off to get down to Eadith as quickly as possible. Not only were they obviously worried about her condition, but if that storm decided to travel in their direction, things might become hopeless. 

It was decided that Osferth would stay there with the horses while the other men trekked around and into the ravine. Osferth would use that time to make a litter to be lowered down and used to transport Eadith back up. Although no one said it, they could only hope that they would be carrying an injured Eadith and not just a body that would need to be laid to rest. 

Finan hadn't uttered a word since his desperate prayer when he first got off his horse. The other men were well aware of the feelings that had started to develop between the two, despite the last awkward twenty-four hours. Uhtred, Sihtric, and Osferth, not needing words to communicate, all gave each other nervous glances, silently hoping that Finan would be able to keep it together, for Eadith’s sake. 

In all honesty, it would be better if he stayed with the horses, given his emotional state, but there would be no denying him a part in the rescue effort of his newfound yet undeclared love. As they started through the trees, Uhtred grabbed his dearest friend’s arm, turning him around. Clasping Finan behind the neck, Uhtred pressed his forehead to Finan’s, meeting his eyes. “We WILL get to her and she WILL be all right”, he said with conviction. Finan just closed his eyes and nodded. 

As the three warriors picked their way carefully but swiftly around to the other side of the ravine, Sihtric filled them in on what had happened. Eadith had spied some berries off the side of the road and decided to gather some for their meal. Noone realized how close the edge of the cliff was or how steeply the section of ground dropped down the edge of it. Unintentionally, she brought her horse closer to the edge than she had meant to. Before she could move away, the crack of lightning sounded and her horse spooked, throwing her right off and plunging down the side of the cliff, tumbling down to the bottom.  
“Did you see her moving at all or making any sound?”, Uhtred asked the younger Dane.  
“No Lord. It happened too fast. She’s been still since I first saw her, as soon as I looked over the edge”, Sihtric replied.  
Finan muttered a few curses in Gaelic after hearing Sihtric’s report. Uhtred, glancing up at the sky and holding Thor’s hammer that he wore around his neck, said a prayer to Freyr asking to keep that storm moving in the opposite direction. If it started to rain, the small stream in the ravine could quickly turn into a torrent of rushing water. He kept that to himself, however, not wanting to cause Finan any more worries.

Just as they got around to the other side of the gorge, to a spot where they could make their way down to Eadith, they felt the first drops of rain. Finan was at his breaking point. Taking a deep breath he slid himself quickly down the slope, not caring if he tore up his legs or the palms of his hands in the process. All that he could think of was getting to his girl! 

Thankfully, on this side, the slope was not nearly as steep or high and it wasn’t far to the bottom. The Irishman quickly made it over the small stream that ran down the center of it then started to make his way to Eadith while the other men worked their way down the slope behind him. 

It was just then that the skies decided to open up and send a deluge that must have rivaled Noah’s time in the Bible story he heard when he was young. He could barely make out Eadith’s lithe figure lying on the ground as the waters started to rise. Was that her chest rising and falling with a breath? He could only hope that it wasn't just an illusion! Eadith had to be okay or he didn't know how he would go on!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Any feedback is always appreciated! Seriously - if you have any suggestions or criticism at all, I'm happy to hear them - as long as they are said in a respectful manner!


End file.
